Chapter 53
“Shibusawa Tatsuhiko…” Ye Yihe muttered.
I've never heard of that name before.
But there's an even more crucial issue than the name.
He pinpointed the blind spot in Fyodor's earlier statement: "Official intelligence? Which official?"
He remembered that superpowers were something that was kept secret from the public, so how could there possibly be any information about them being made public?
[To be precise, it came from the Japanese government's special intelligence agency specializing in supernatural abilities.]
Fyodor did not hide anything: [Most capable countries would establish relevant agencies to manage official superhumans or to regulate superhuman crimes.]
In Britain, this organization is called the "Clock Tower Attendants"; in Japan, it's known as the Special Abilities Department.
"...You hacked into their database storage system, didn't you?"
Ye Yihe, who had diligently studied programming and related network knowledge under Dr. Shelley, succinctly and mercilessly criticized the situation.
Fyodor chuckled slightly, speaking in a polite tone that was innocent and harmless, not aggressive, but extremely insulting.
[Ah, sorry. Their cybersecurity is a bit poor. I was just looking for some other information and accidentally clicked on it.]
Ye Yihe wanted to glare at him: …………
Wow, I accidentally clicked on that.
"So, what do you want to see that Tatsuhiko Shibusawa for? You should be able to see him by finding that hero, right?"
Ivan had already gotten his luggage, and Ye Yihe followed him toward the exit, whispering to Fyodor the whole way.
When he occasionally attracts curious glances from passersby, the considerate Ivan will outwardly wear an elegant and proper smile, but inwardly unleash a sinister aura to scare people away, always preserving his master's private chat space undisturbed.
[It was just a gesture of goodwill. But I suspect the Special Abilities Division wouldn't allow me to do that, so I can't seek assistance from resources within the government.]
Fyodor explained, "[Shibusawa Tatsuhiko is under strict surveillance by the Special Abilities Division, practically being held under house arrest like a criminal, and cannot be seen through ordinary means.]"
Ye Yihe: "Household confinement?"
[Some gifted individuals see themselves as superior "new angels," while others use them as weapons.] Fyodor's voice was calm. [Especially powerful offensive abilities can cause one's personality to become subservient to them.]
[This is the case with Tatsuhiko Shibusawa.]
If it's just a simple criminal case, all you need to do is put the criminal in jail.
However, when dealing with people with superpowers, the same methods used for dealing with ordinary citizens are often insufficient to completely resolve the problem.
Regardless of the superhuman's personality or the evil deeds they have committed, if their superpower can be used by the government as a top-tier weapon to deter other countries, like a hydrogen bomb, then the government will not easily let them die.
Not to mention the special cases where individuals have no intention of doing evil but are recruited by the government simply because their supernatural abilities are too powerful.
These humanoid self-propelled nuclear bombs are referred to as "Special Dangerous Ability Users" by the Special Ability Department.
Tatsuhiko Shibusawa is one of the Special Dangerous Ability Users who is under house arrest.
His superpower is almost harmless to ordinary people when used, but it can produce a critical strike effect on the vast majority of superpowered individuals—it's not surprising that the government would recruit him, as he is very suitable for fighting against powerful superpowered individuals in other countries.
After listening to Fyodor's explanation, Ye Yihe's tone suddenly realized, "You want to use his power?"
Just like when we used that vampire count, that hero from the Far East?
[I just wanted to liberate a lost soul.]
Fyodor sighed softly inside the Palace of Consciousness, but Ye Yihe didn't think he was really expressing regret—on the contrary, he seemed to be looking forward to something interesting happening.
Combining this with what was just said... Ye Yihe could almost picture Shibusawa Tatsuhiko being unleashed by Fyodor and slaughtering everyone in sight.
He guessed that Fyodor was up to something again, so he went to search through the government's classified documents and finally set his sights on the other person's superpower.
It sounds nice to call it liberation, but isn't using someone and then silencing them also a kind of liberation? Hmph, he'll find a loophole in language.
Ye Yihe said he wouldn't fall for it, and he wouldn't.
Tokyo Airport is not far from Yokohama, and when the taxi arrived at Oda Saku's address, it was even in time for dinner.
But more than finishing his meal, Ye Yihe was surprised that the rather old two-story red brick building that used to stand at this address now looked completely brand new.
The word "brand new" here does not mean that it was completely demolished and rebuilt, but rather a major renovation in terms of decoration.
The rusty stairs and railings that used to creak when you walked on them have been replaced with new ones, and the old corrugated iron roof has been completely replaced with terracotta tiles. It looks beautiful and harmonious, a hundred times better than the old corrugated iron roof that was cold in winter and hot in summer.
"I bought this building."
Oda Sakunosuke poked his head out of the window and looked at Ye Yihe, who had been standing at the door for a while without coming in.
He explained with a serious expression, "There are more people at home now, so we're making sure there's enough room for you when you come."
As expected of a top-tier professional assassin, he has accumulated so much wealth that he can easily buy a small building and renovate it.
"Odasaku!"
After greeting him, Ye Yihe asked curiously, "Are there more people now?" as he led Ivan into the small building.
Oda Sakunosuke's head didn't leave the window; instead, another head with orange-brown hair suddenly popped up below, smaller than Oda Sakunosuke. "Oh, it's you. No wonder Oda Sakunosuke suddenly got up."
It was that artificial superhuman, Verlaine's half-brother. Ye Yihe remembered him, and her eyes lit up immediately. "Hello."
Surprisingly, even after he was forced into a deep sleep, Oda Sakunosuke still managed to bring him back!
"And me, Boss! Ah, Ivan's here too..."
Pushkin, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, also poked his head out of the window, and all three pairs of eyes looked in this direction.
Ye Yihe noticed that Fyodor in the Palace of Consciousness seemed to suddenly fall silent to the point of being speechless, as if he wanted to ask, "Who are you?"
Compared to the fat guy with the comma-shaped haircut I'd seen before, this young man in front of me, with his clear jawline, strong facial features, and neat dark gold hair... he's completely transformed.
With his tank top and exposed shoulders and arms propped up on the windowsill, his well-defined muscles clearly showed he'd been working out a lot.
Very good, very good, that's more like Pushkin!
Although there is still a big difference compared to the photo in the textbook, this is, after all, a modern version of Pushkin from another world, so there are some differences in appearance... Ye Yihe nodded slightly.
A slight difference in appearance is acceptable, as long as the person isn't overweight.
But Pushkin's appearance was clearly a bit unexpected for Fyodor—he knew that his subordinate had been forced to train by his own half, but he didn't expect that after the man lost weight and grew taller, his appearance would change so much.
Even his demeanor has changed. His physique is more powerful than bulky; he could actually go out and fight a bear bare-handed now.
But Yeikh’s prolonged silence was seen by Pushkin as a sign that he was deliberately ignoring him and expressing his continued dissatisfaction with the new image.
"Boss!" Pushkin called out earnestly, "Boss, I really tried my best!"
"I told you you could still lose weight."
—Chuuya Nakahara glanced at him with his beautiful cobalt blue eyes. Even though he had a baby face that hadn't fully grown up and a petite figure, he still exuded a powerful aura. "There are no chicken legs for dinner tonight."
"What!?"
In the short time it took from Yeykh going upstairs to turning into the stairwell, Pushkin lost the chicken leg he had recently managed to earn.
"I can hear you calling me a devil in your heart." With a stern face, Nakahara Chuuya turned to Oda and gestured, "Look at him."
"I didn't say that word! Don't make baseless accusations!" Pushkin was genuinely shocked this time.
Damn it, this guy with the copper hair is a big shot in front of the BOSS, I absolutely can't let him find any dirt on me!
Oda Sakunosuke gave a flat "Oh," but still confiscated Pushkin's chicken leg.
When Ye Yihe opened the door, he discovered that the interior layout had changed drastically. The originally cramped apartment had been connected to the room next door, expanding the area and transforming it into a public functional area that included a dining room and living room.
No wonder the three of them were crammed into one window; it was almost dinnertime, and Oda Sakunosuke was cooking.
Pushkin's meal was the first one prepared.
Ye Yihe entered the room and happily bumped fists with Oda Sakunosuke—a move he had learned from Northern Europe and now finally had the chance to use—before looking at Nakahara Chuuya.
“Sorry, I slept a little suddenly last time,” he introduced himself. “I’m Fyodor, you can call me Fedia. May I ask your name?”
The boy in front of me was about thirteen or fourteen years old, much taller than when I last saw him. Although his face was delicate and youthful, his cobalt blue eyes were quite sharp, the kind that looked intimidating when he put on a cold face.
He was indeed not someone to be trifled with. Just think about how much destructive power Verlaine had, and he had just as much destructive power.
Although his blue eyes were wide open at this moment, making him look much cuter, "I thought Oda Sakunosuke was joking with me... You really do have a dual personality."
After all, he had heard the other party introduce himself last time, and they had even exchanged names.
"Yes, it's easier to distinguish between me and the main personality this way."
Ye Yihe nodded, without the slightest bit guilty.
"I am Nakahara Chuuya,"
Chuuya Nakahara, who had his hands in his pockets, looked at him carefully for a moment, then extended his right hand to shake hands with him. "Oda Sakunosuke said this is the etiquette for first meetings."
Ye Yihe readily extended his hand to shake his, saying, "Zhongye," and immediately settled on the form of address.
The name Nakahara is too long to pronounce; Chuuya is much easier.
"Oda Sakunosuke said back then that someone would tell me about my true background..."
Chuuya Nakahara didn't object to Ye Yihe calling him by his name directly, but instead focused on getting an answer from him: "Was that person you?"
“…”
Mentioning this made Ye Yihe want to sigh. This feeling of wanting to talk about it but being unable to is truly...
“It’s not the right time yet,” he could only shake his head. “I haven’t figured out how to tell you.”
Chuuya Nakahara scrutinized Ye Yihe's expression for a moment, then slowly looked away. "Okay," he said, "your eyes look different from last time... different from that Fyodor."
"I can believe you, but don't keep me waiting too long."
He clenched his fist and, mimicking the fist bump he had exchanged with Oda Sakunosuke when Ye Yihe entered, gently tapped his chest with his knuckles together.
It seems that Chuuya Nakahara had been wanting to imitate this for a while, and now he finally got his chance.
"must."
Ye Yihe assured him.
Pushkin, who had been watching eagerly as his boss finally finished talking to the grumpy kid, finally managed to chime in, "Boss..."
He has indeed grown a lot taller, and is not much shorter than Fedor—the food he ate before must have all gone into fat, unlike now that he's eating healthier food and his height is starting to increase.
Ivan, on the other hand, was able to maintain a perfectly unchanged smile even when he saw the drastically changed Pushkin, which was truly terrifying.
"Ah, Pushkin."
Ye Yihe congratulated him with a smile, "You finally look much more energetic."
"Really!"
After successfully losing weight, Pushkin's face no longer showed signs of happiness; instead, his expression became exceptionally cheerful. "Then, can I... stop eating boiled food altogether?"
What are you talking about?
Ye Yihe's smile vanished instantly, and his gaze toward Pushkin became unusually indifferent. Even his tone of voice was calm, creating a powerful sense of mental pressure.
"You worked so hard to lose weight, how can you gain it all back? With your body type that's prone to weight gain, you need to keep exercising to maintain your figure, right?"
Pushkin: "…………"
Pushkin's mind was screaming in despair.
Ugh, his boss really is a devil! Seriously, even his boss treats that grumpy kid better than he does!
Do you really want to gain weight back?
He heard the devil making a deal in his ear, as if tempting him by saying, "Here's a hamburger, want some? I won't give it to you even if you run ten kilometers to get it."
Pushkin shook his head pitifully.
He was now like a large dog completely soaked by the heavy rain, his tail wagging weakly.
“That being said, I’m not a devil after all,” Ye Yihe continued. “If you can meet your training targets every month and keep your body fat percentage from increasing, I can reward you with a day of indulgence.”
The large dog is standing tall again.
"I will definitely live up to the BOSS's expectations!"
Pushkin thumped his chest loudly in his eagerness to get a good meal.
Fyodor laughed in the Palace of Consciousness, his voice soft but quite pleasant, and only Ye Yihe could hear him clearly.
[Let Ivan supervise Pushkin.]
After laughing, he even gave Ye Yihe advice.
Ye Yihe readily accepted, "I remember I asked Oda Sakunosuke to find someone to supervise you in completing your mission..."
"Ah, they didn't hire anyone else later; I was the one keeping an eye on him."
Chuuya Nakahara raised his hand, a smile spreading across his face just thinking about it. "It was quite interesting."
After all, this kind of daily activity—using [gravity manipulation] to easily follow behind the other person, and kicking their butt whenever they try to slack off—can really make one feel good all day long.
It's a pity he hasn't dared to slack off lately.
“This is really troublesome for you, Chuuya,” Ye Yihe said with a smile, thanking him. “Ivan will be in charge of supervising Pushkin from now on.”
"Yes, I will obey your orders."
Ivan gracefully placed his hand on his chest and bowed, almost eager to take on the task.
Pushkin: "...Wait, Boss, wait! Please, no Ivan!!"
This fanatical, twisted boss will definitely double the training intensity, then casually say, "You can't even meet the requirements that exceed the master's expectations by a few points. Do you want to disappoint the master and both of us?" while pulling out a kitchen knife that's been hidden somewhere and chasing after him, stabbing his butt!
"Do you have any complaints about your master's arrangements, Pushkin?"
Ivan, who had raised his eyes, stared silently at him. His silver-gray eyes were fixed on him, and Pushkin felt a cold sweat break out. "No..."
Help! He's surrounded by demons!
Since two more pairs of chopsticks had been added, Ye Yihe rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to take over the cooking, and made a few more dishes using the ingredients in the refrigerator.
During this time, Ye Yihe also told Oda Sakunosuke that he was currently in a state of coexistence of two personalities.
“Yes, it’s the influence of that psychologist’s superpower. Even if Fyodor and I switch body control, the other consciousness won’t fall into a deep sleep,” Ye Yihe finished explaining the long story to him. “I still can’t stay out for long; my mental strength can’t hold up.”
It means that Fyodor might have to come out when we eat later.
"I see,"
Oda Sakunosuke, who was chopping vegetables, nodded and said succinctly, "Don't worry."
The phrase "rest assured" can have many meanings, and in this respect, Ye Yihe absolutely believed that Oda Sakunosuke was reliable.
So, Ye Yihe, smiling happily, changed the subject, "Zhongye is well taken care of by you. I remember the last time I saw him, even when I was watching him standing with his group of friends from afar, I always felt a sense of loneliness and incongruity."
Unlike now, he's much more energetic and lively, even using chopsticks to pick up roasted meat and drool over Pushkin... You can hear the lively atmosphere of the dining room from the kitchen.
“Ah,” Oda Sakunosuke replied, “I also feel that…it’s not that difficult to get along with people.”
“That’s a good thing,” Ye Yihe said. “You’ve always been a very good person, I can vouch for that.”
Oda Sakunosuke stared at him for a moment, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "Yes," he said. "If I hadn't met you, my fate would probably be completely different now."
"Don't tell me you'd be better off without me."
Ye Yihe, who also laughed, joked with him.
Since Oda bought the building, the remaining rooms on both floors have been converted into comfortable bedrooms that can accommodate at least seven or eight people. Even if Ye Yihe and Ivan come, it won't be crowded.
During the meal, Ye Yihe gave himself to Fyodor.
Fortunately, even without being told, Fyodor remained very well-behaved and obedient, simply eating his food slowly and deliberately without saying a word.
Even with Ye Yihe watching over him to finish every meal, Fyodor, who had taken off his felt hat and cloak and was only wearing an open-fronted coat, was still slender, and his hands, which scooped up soup with a spoon, had distinct knuckles.
Judging from the scene of him eating quietly, he really is a frail but handsome young man. In an ordinary restaurant, he would easily attract admiring glances from others.
Ye Yihe inexplicably felt that Fyodor was showing him his harmless and obedient side in order to further increase his favorability... Hmph, but he wouldn't take the bait.
Absolutely not.
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